1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information display apparatus having a plurality of information display sections, and more specifically it relates to an electronic watch having a plurality of information display sections.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been a variety of information display apparatuses proposed for the individual for the arbitrary display of a plurality of types of information. One of these is the information display apparatus which was disclosed by the inventor himself in the form of a specific configuration in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 6-86148.
This information display device was shown as the example of an electronic watch, one time of information displayed by the watch being the current time, and another type of information being displayed by the watch being the alarm time.
The configuration and the functioning of a prior art information display apparatus will be explained below, using the example of the above-noted information display apparatus, with reference being made to FIG. 7.
FIG. 7 is a circuit block diagram of an electronic watch in the prior art having a plurality of time-displaying means, in which the reference numeral 1 denotes an oscillator circuit which generates a reference signal, 2 denoting a frequency-dividing circuit which divides the signal of the oscillator circuit 1.
In this drawing, the reference numeral 3 denotes a first wave-shaping circuit which, using the reference signal from the frequency-dividing circuit 2, generates a motor-drive signal, 4 is a first motor-driving circuit for the purpose of driving a first motor using the signal of the first wave-shaping circuit 3, 5 is a first motor which is driven by the first motor-driving circuit 4, 6 is a set of first indicating hands which is moved by the first motor 5, this set of first indicating hands corresponding to the first display means.
In this same FIG. 7, the reference numeral 7 denotes a second wave-shaping circuit which, using the reference signal from the frequency-dividing circuit 2, generates a motor-drive signal, 8 is a second motor-driving circuit for the purpose of driving a second motor using the signal of the second wave-shaping circuit 7, 9 is a second motor which is driven by the second motor-driving circuit 8, 10 is a set of second indicating hands, this set of second indicating hands corresponding to the second display means.
In the same FIG. 7, the reference numeral 11 denotes a first counter which measures a number of rotations of the first motor, 12 is a second counter which measures a number of rotations of the second motor, 13 is a first coincidence-detecting circuit for the purpose of detecting coincidence between the first counter 11 and the second counter 12, this first coincidence-detecting circuit outputting a high-level signal for the coincidence condition and a low-level signal for a different condition than coincidence.
In the same FIG. 7, reference numeral 14 denotes a first switch for the purpose of setting an alarm, 15 is a one-step advance detection circuit which detects that a one-step advance operation has been made by the first switch 14, and 16 is a fast-advance detection circuit which detects that a fast-advance operation has been made by the first switch 14.
In the same FIG. 7, reference numeral 17 denotes an alarm-control circuit which controls the setting and resetting of the alarm, and 18 denotes an alarm means which generates a sound.
Next, the operation of a prior art electronic watch having a plurality of time-displaying means will be described, with reference being made to FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9.
First, as an initialization, it is necessary to cause coincidence between the indication of the set of first indicating hands 6 and the set of second indicating hands.
The first set of indicating hands 6 is usually set to the time, for example, by pulling the stem 40 outward and turning it, in the same manner as with a conventional watch.
The second set of indicating hands 10 is set to the same time as the first set of indicating hands 6 by pressing the first switch 14 when the stem 40 is in the pulled-out position.
If the stem 40 is returned to its original position with the indications of the first set of indicating hands 6 and the second set of indicating hands 10 in coincidence, the first set of indicating hands 6 and the second set of indicating hands 10 begin to move as in a conventional watch.
Simultaneous with the above starting, the first counter 11 and the second counter 12 are reset, and begin to measure the number of times the indicating hands have advanced since the stem 40 was returned to its normal position.
Still simultaneously with the above starting, the coincidence-detecting circuit 13 detects coincidence between the first counter 11 and the second counter 12, and outputs a high-level signal.
The alarm-control circuit 17 is configured so as to be reset by the falling signal of the coincidence-detecting circuit 13, and further so as to drive the alarm circuit 18 in accordance with the rising signal of the coincidence-detecting circuit 13, and at this point has not yet been set, so that the alarm circuit 18 is not driven by the rising signal.
FIG. 8 is an outer view of the electronic watch in this condition. Next, the case of setting the second set of indicating hands 10 to an alarm time will be described.
When the first switch 14 is pressed for a short period of time, the one-step advance detection circuit 15 operates, a signal being output to the second wave-shaping circuit 7. The second wave-shaping circuit 7 receives the above-noted signal, thereby causing the second counter 12 to advance by one step, and outputting a pulse to the second motor-driving circuit 8. The second motor-driving circuit 8 receives this pulse and causes the second set of indicating hands 10 to move by one step, by causing the second motor 9 to rotate.
If at this point the first switch 14 is continued to be pressed, the fast-advance detection circuit 16 operates, the above-noted second set of indicating hands 10 as well as the second counter 12 being caused to fast-advance.
In this manner, it is possible to set the second set of indicating hands 10 to the alarm time.
In doing this, because the second counter 12 only is counting up, the coincidence-detecting circuit L3 does not output a coincidence detection signal.
The alarm-control circuit 17 is set by the falling signal of the coincidence-detecting circuit 13. When the alarm-control circuit 17 is set, the second wave-shaping circuit 7 stops its theretofore normal hand-driving signal output, so that the second set of indicating hands 10 stops at that position.
FIG. 9 is an outer view of the electronic watch in the above-noted condition.
After this, when time elapses so that the first set of indicating hands 6 and second set of indicating hands 10 coincide, the first counter 11 and the second counter 12 coincide, and coincidence-detecting circuit 13 detects the coincidence between these two counters and outputs a rising signal.
The alarm-control circuit 17 operates when it receives this rising signal, thereby operating the alarm circuit to sound the alarm.
When the alarm is sounded, the second wave-shaping circuit 7 starts to output a signal once again, the first set of indicating hands 6 and the second set of indicating hands 10 continuing to indicate the same time.
If it is desired to cancel an alarm from the set condition, when the first switch 14 is operated to cause coincidence between the second set of indicating hands 10 and the first set of indicating hands 6, the first counter 11 and the second counter 12 coincide, the coincidence-detecting circuit 13 detects this coincidence, so that the alarm-control circuit 17 is reset, thereby canceling the alarm.
When the alarm is canceled, the second set of indicating hands 10 and the first set of indicating hands 6 continue to indicate the same time.
In this manner, the drive of the hands is continued with coincidence between the first set of indicating hands 6 and the second set of indicating hands 10 being maintained, the first switch 14 being then used to set the second set of indicating hands 10 to a time that is different from the first set of indicating hands 6 to set the alarm, the second set of indicating hands 10 at that point stopping drive to indicate the time, after which when the indication of the first set of indicating hands 6 coincides with the indication of the second set of indicating hands 10 an alarm is sounded, after which the first set of indicating hands 6 and the second set of indicating hands 10 are driven as in the coinciding condition.
Cancellation of the alarm is done by the first switch 14, which causes coincidence between the indications of the second set of indicating hands 10 and the first set of indicating hands 6.
In the above-noted electronic watch, after the alarm is set, when the first set of indicating hands 6 and the second set of indicating hands 10 coincide and the alarm is sounded, because the second set of indicating hands 10 and the first set of indicating hands 6 thereafter both continue to indicate the current time, the alarm does not sound again, which is a very convenient feature when using the watch as a timer.
However, after this alarm is set, when the alarm should be cancelled, it was necessary to perform fast advance continuously until the second set of indicating hands 10 and first set of indicating hands 6 concides. This was not only troublesome, but was also accompanied by the risk of overrun.
Furthermore, if the same time was to be set as the alarm after it sounded, the same fast-advance operation as mentioned had to be performed.
To remedy the above-noted situation, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2-25791 discloses technology for stopping the alarm setting fast-advance correction during fast-advance operation when the alarm hands and the hands indicating the current time coincide, thus preventing overrun.
Further, in the above-noted patent publication, after the current time and the alarm time coincide and the alarm is sounded, there are two alarm modes, an alarm mode A in which the alarm remains in the un-set condition after the alarm has sounded, and an alarm mode B in which the alarm is not canceled even after the alarm has sounded, so that when the current time and the alarm time coincide again the alarm is sounded, these alarm modes being selectable for use by switching therebetween.
However, even in the disclosure in the above-noted patent publication, once an alarm time is set, to cancel the time it is still necessary to continuously perform a switch operation until coincidence is reached.